How to Create a Farm-property Scrapbook

Create an heirloom-quality record of your farm property to pass down from generation to generation.

By Monette Satterfield

Photo by Stephanie StatonDon't be afraid to crop scrapbook photos for a dramatic impact.

Standing among the endless array of supplies in the scrapbook aisle of your local craft store can be daunting. But don’t worry; you don’t need all of those tools, gadgets and accessories to get started. You can make lovely and satisfying projects with a few basic supplies.

Start with your photographs and an album with page protectors. Sherman believes that the only additional items you need are archival scrapbook paper, scissors and photo glue sticks or photo corners to get started without breaking the bank.

“You’ll actually spend less if you take a few photos to the store and buy coordinating paper with three to five photos to fit on each 12- by 12-inch page,” she says.

Albums and Page ProtectorsThese come in a range of sizes, but the standards are 8½ by 11 inches and 12 by 12 inches. Choose a good-quality polyvinyl chloride (PVC) free, lignin-free and acid-free album with page protectors.

AdhesivesAdhesives come in a range of types and formulas. They can be wet or dry, removable, repositionable or permanent. For photographs, choose a photo-safe glue stick and apply sparingly. Use only as much as you need to make the photo stick to the page. If you branch out to other materials, remember that different adhesives, such as vellum and metal adhesives, are available for different tasks.

PaperPaper is the base of your album, and you’ll have plenty of choices. Plain cardstock (a stiff paper) that comes in a multitude of colors is the base onto which you adhere your photos and other items. The papers can be purchased in individual sheets, in paper books or in bulk. (Be sure to select cardstock that is acid-free.)

StickersWhile not necessary to start an album, stickers are easy to find and fun to use. They come in single sheets or on rolls and embrace nearly any theme you can imagine. You’re sure to find a few that will enhance your album and tickle your fancy.

Tools Scissors, archival pens and templates for cutting shapes or lettering are the basics. The selection of tools for scrapbooking is vast, so research a new gadget carefully, and add to your toolbox as your needs expand.

Recording ChangesOnce you start, you’ll want to keep your album up-to-date. Bullard has some suggestions to keep track of things and to make a routine update fast and fun.

“Designate one spot to save photos and records of changes or additions to your property,” she says. “Once a year, update your scrapbook with these items. It should be fairly easy since the photos are already printed and items are arranged chronologically.”

Documenting your farm and land is practical because it gives you a record of what happened and when. But, as Bullard aptly notes, it carries a more important message to the future, “From a deeper perspective, scrapbooking your farm is a way to say to future generations that what you did was important and interesting, and ‘this is what it was really like.’”

About the Author: Monette Satterfield is an artist and author with boundless curiosity. She lives and gardens in Central Florida and makes her web home at ShinyDesigns.com.

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2011 issue of Hobby Farm Home.

Disclaimer: The posts and threads recorded in our messageboards do not reflect the opinions of nor are endorsed by I-5 Publishing, LLC nor any of its employees. We are not responsible for the content of these posts and threads. Site best viewed with IE 5+

*Content generated by our loyal visitors, which includes comments and club postings, is free of constraints from our editors' red pens, and therefore not governed by I-5 Publishing, LLC's Gold Standard Quality Content, but instead allowed to follow the free form expression necessary for quick, inspired and spontaneous communication.